Plating processing apparatus

Abstract

A plating processing apparatus in which a plating object is immersed in a plating solution to form a plating layer on a surface of the plating object. A plating tank contains the plating solution, and a power supply roller is rotated while supplying electric power to the plating object, and conveys the plating object to be immersed into the plating solution contained in the plating tank and then moved to the outside of the plating solution. An anode case is disposed inside the plating tank and held in electrical contact with the plating solution contained in the plating tank, and a control panel controls electric power supplied to the power supply roller and the anode case. A first busbar electrically connects the power supply roller and the control panel, and a second busbar electrically connects the anode case and the control panel.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A plating processing apparatus in which a plating object is immersed in a plating solution to form a plating layer on a surface of the plating object, the plating processing apparatus comprising:
 a plating tank containing the plating solution; 
 a power supply roller rotated while supplying electric power to the plating object, and conveying the plating object to be immersed into the plating solution contained in the plating tank and then moved to outside of the plating solution; 
 an anode case disposed inside the plating tank and held in electrical contact with the plating solution contained in the plating tank; 
 a control panel controlling electric power supplied to the power supply roller and the anode case; 
 a first busbar electrically connecting the power supply roller and the control panel; and 
 a second busbar electrically connecting the anode case and the control panel, 
 wherein the first busbar and the second busbar are each constituted by a plurality of busbar members each of which includes a copper-made base member and a titanium-made coating layer covering a surface of the base member, 
 each busbar member of the respective plurality of busbar members constituting the first busbar and the second busbar includes (i) a first connection portion connected to another busbar member of the respective plurality of busbar members, and (ii) a second connection portion connected to the power supply roller, the anode case, or the control panel, and 
 a portion of each busbar member other than the first connection portion and the second connection portion includes a gap between the base member and the coating layer. 
 
     
     
       2. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the gap is not smaller than 1 μm. 
     
     
       3. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein the base member of each busbar member is directly welded to a base member of another busbar member in the first connection portion. 
     
     
       4. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 1 , wherein an end portion of one of the base members of each busbar member and the another busbar member has a T-like shape in the first connection portion, and
 the first connection portion includes a plurality of screw holes with a plurality of bolts screwed into the plurality of screw holes for connection. 
 
     
     
       5. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the plurality of bolts comprises one or more bolts per 125 A of current flowing in the first connection portion. 
     
     
       6. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the number of the bolts is one or more per current of 125 A flowing in the first connection portion or the second connection portion. 
     
     
       7. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein the bolts are made of stainless steel. 
     
     
       8. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 4 , wherein inner peripheral surfaces of the screw holes which are formed in each busbar member and the another busbar member and into which the bolts are screwed are covered with titanium-made coating layers. 
     
     
       9. The plating processing apparatus according to  claim 8 , wherein the plurality of bolts comprises one or more bolts per 125 A of current flowing in the second connection portion.